The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-07-07

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makers Of the Dsy-Odd Fanoies In Max
ing Money-Ths Success Of Mis-. pelling-
Foundation Of American wit and Humor
tccpvriohsed, fss,1
The profession of humorist, II there be
such one, Is both solicited and admired
IN almost every newspaper Office Il some
one ambitious Of recognition in that line
Generally speaking, no man can be q hu
morist who is not something else besides
numor ought to be the delicate conception
OF incongruous but pleasing things. Who
ever can extract from a weed q curious new
perfume for the toilet must be q delicate
chemist, and he who can find humor amidst
the truth and the facts of life should have
both sensible and q kind nature,
Inc United States has perhaps excelled in
numor more than in other literary forms ;
one nurturing place for It has been the news.
paper offices, and especially the smaller and
mere local newspapers. This often arises
from the society the ill-paid writer Is thrown
into about and outside of his newspaper
desk.
Artemas Ward was printer whose habits
became spoiled, and he found It hard to set
type and make any money. He was too much
about the alehouses and before the taverns
exchanging jokes to be pushing little types
into frame; 20 he graduated at last q
numorist In newspaper which hardly made
sS,OOO year for Its proprietor.
His pieces were taken up and copied, and
speedily the whole land, which had lust time
enough to read short Joke, began to be in.
terested. He looked around for some way of
making living by his humor. Nc great
man in the government could do anything
ior MIN; to put humorist into q public
Office would bs thought the destruction of
the state. Our government would neither
nave poets, humorists nor any other de-
scription OF men Of native powers. II is the
rawest government in spite of its size on the
face of the globe.
30 Artemas Ward had to come to New
York, where some printer or jobber thought
there was money in him." They set up a
comic paper and managed to pay salary
such as hundred men on newspapers now
receive, not enough to let him hold his own
amongst the innumerable loiterers who
wanted to make his acquaintance and oc-
cupy his time The comic paper soon ex-
pired, and now Ward resolved to be show
man-to 90 through the country with
panorama and stand before 1t and exhibit
himsef and his jokes at so much head.
This was degrading situation for man
who really was read with great appreciation
by his times, but there was no help for Il.
Our country afforded no other sustenance for
Q man who might have become as grotesque
In our literature as Rabelais or Ceryantes,
30 like Snowman Artemas Ward drifted up
and down. forming no plans for the future.
only wondering how he could get rich, and
70 In another country than ours, where
there was some reward for humor and lit
erattre, he passed away.
more thrifty person was Josh Billings.
He was an auctiOneer in the country parts of
New York State, who had tried all sorts Of
things and continued to be poor He thought
he said humorous things and wise ones too,
but somehow nobody else could see them.
Observing Artemas Ward to misspell all
his humorous articles, Josh Billings under
'ook the same with one of his.
Immediately It took wings and began to
dy over the land. He recognized the fact
hat man must have no spell in this coun-
;ry and act under its influence, but that he
AN have misspell and grow we'll off.
Now, Josh Billings was really q somewhat
profound person, with good deal of Benja-
min Franklin's happy faculty of saying
wise thing in Q quaint way. But they would
lot pass unless they were misspeiled. There
vas no sense whatever in his misspelling Of
hem. They were not misspelled in either
he negro, the Irish or the Yankee dialect;
was nothing but arbitrary misspelling
without any method. ),
When he obtained some currency he came
lown to New York city to see the other
lumorists and SEQ If they would net take
lin into their guild. Artemas Ward received
lin after his lecture with profuse compli-
nents and made an appointment with him
t booksellers. Josh waited there two or
hree hours until he felt that he might be
licked out and came away and saw Artemas
Ward no more. 1t was the same with all
he rest Of them; they were poor scratchers
or livelihood, getting grins out of men in
lead Of guineas.
30 Josh Billings. resolved to capitalize his |
umor in the best way he could. He sold
imself to story paper at 20 much Q week,
repaired an almanac once year and lee
lred whenever he could get chance. In
nat way he rolled up an income of perhaps
1900 year; and saved 1t and handed It
YER to his wife and family.
saw him toward the last of his days an
caring In the New York hotels, q rather
'nely man whom hard work had somewhat
ephved Of his power to be quaint and
iginal. He said to me that he wished he
nd kept the funny papers he had written
J his youth and got nothing for them.
aid he, EVERY one Of them is worth 500
ow, but I can't make them as could
len."
This man, under better organized soc,ety.
ould have been taken out of the mere
rcus business Of life and put to use and
ave given more pleasure; and his collected
orks would have some unity about them.
Another Of our humorists was Sam Small.
ho 70 now . revival orator. He IL man of
'od sense and Of good appearance; when
lew him first he was slender and finely
rmed and would we'll become suit of full
ess.
He had been for while secretary to An
ew johnson, and had some genius for pub
life. But his habits were irregular, and
ere was NO steady occupation for him but
the Newspaper press. He commenced
. negro dialect articles which were after
nd taken up by Q young man in the same
Ice with him, Mr.. Harris. emalls arti.
. were short, pungent and odd. When he
led to furnish them modest young man
one OF the netghboring desks was asked
n. bHas